It's that bit of January where we're starting to get bored of our resolutions. Luckily there's a bevvy of newbies from the likes of Urban Decay and Anastasia Beverly Hills injecting a bit of excitement into the least thrilling month
Whether you've given up alcohol for January or not, there's no denying it's a dry month regardless. Luckily our friends in the beauty and wellness world know how to pep us up, endlessly dropping new launches to keep us happy until the longest month in the world finishes. Here's what we're rating this week.
Kloris CBD Balm, £62 for 60ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I came across this balm at the Bulgari Spa when I tried the 90-minute Kloris Stress Melting Ritual , £270. The massage began with the therapist applying Kloris’ CBD Balm all over my body, followed by warm ESPA Restorative Body Oil , ahead of a divine hot stone massage. I don’t know if it was the plush surroundings, the therapist’s magical hands or the balm itself, but never have I felt so relaxed yet energised after a massage. I was given a a pot of the balm to take home and have been applying it religiously every night since. It smells quite strongly of that unmistakable CBD scent, but don’t let that put you off. The balm allows absorption of CBD through the skin and targets inflammation and pain, so if you’re suffering any aches and pains, I thoroughly recommend giving this a whirl, and if you’re in London and have a spare £270, get yourself to the Bvlgari Spa for the most blissful treatment you’ll ever try."
Ren Perfect Canvas Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser, £25 for 100ml
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Clever ‘clean’ beauty brand Ren has come up with a natural cleanser that really does get everything off - pollution, SPF, waterproof makeup – in packaging that’s 50 per cent post-consumer recycled. If you find cleansing balms effective but heavy, you’ll enjoy the way this oil-based gel turns a little milky when you splash water over it. But not so milky that it doesn’t stick to all that gunk you want to capture. I happily mushed it into my eyelids, which panda’d up in a satisfying way, before I swept it all off with a flannel, no second cleanse needed, no cotton pads added to landfill. It left nothing behind apart from soft skin. It claims to be pore minimising and blemish controlling too. Admittedly not cheap for a cleanser, but watering it down means you need a pea-sized blob to do a whole face. An ethical investment that will save you time, money, spots and the planet."
Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense Serum, £85 for 30ml
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"If summer abs are made in winter then summer skin also has much work to do throughout winter. It’s in the darkest of January days that I work to get rid of any sunspots and sun damage. Why? My skin is getting a break from harsh summer rays and so is less vulnerable when using stronger ingredients that might make it sun-sensitive. And this new serum is packed with those strong ingredients - 1.8 per cent tranexamic acid, five per cent niacinamide and five per cent Hepes, designed to target and reduce the appearance of key types of skin discolouration, including stubborn brown patches and post-blemish scars. And just as we layer our clothing in winter ( Uniqlo thermals anyone?) so too can we layer our serums. It’s early days but I love layering it up over a vitamin C serum followed by a hyaluronic then a Skinceuticals sunscreen and like every Skinceuticals product I try I’ve high hopes it’s going to do what it promises."
Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Eyeshadow Palette, £49
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
"Nothing beats a good palette; they're compact, provide variety, and when they offer everything you could ever need, they take the stress out of the morning ritual. Beauty mogul Anastasia Beverly Hills new eyeshadow palette, created in collaboration with infleuncer Amrezy, is a prime example of what a good palette should be. Firstly this fabulous pink and sparkly compact houses a whopping sixteen new shades. The variety is all there in the form of classic nudes, cute and flirty pinks, and some deep colours to help with that smoky look, not to mention enough shimmer options to top off any eye. And, talk about taking the stress out of the morning, this go-to palette is the powerhouse of my morning routine, it really is the one-stop-shop."
Suqqu Glow Touch Eyes in shade 08, £24, launches 30 January
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"I’ve always been a die-hard fan of liquid eyeshadows and thought nothing would compare to my Stila Magnificent Metals . However, after dabbling with Suqqu I feel like I’ve moved on to its slightly sophisticated sister. It has an editorial feel to it, still a statement shimmer but without being too OTT and glittery. From lasting me from brunch to dancefloor, I can confirm it's long-lasting, infused with royal jelly extract and jojoba oil which gives it a creamy and blendable wet-look finish. Apply a thin layer for a natural daytime glow or build-up for a dramatic look!"
Burberry Matte Glow foundation (30 shades), £37 for 30ml
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Matte glow sounds like a contradiction in terms, but what this fluid foundation gives is a good healthy-look without appearing cakey. To get the best out of it, I advise applying it with a brush to really work it into your skin. It’s the first long-wear foundation I’ve tried that doesn’t sit in my lines (I usually go for BB and CC creams instead for this very reason, they give a more natural finish). I’d normally avoid a matte finish too for the same reason, but this rather magical fluid covers all imperfections but has such a fine skin-like finish that I can’t fault it, especially on days when I’m tired need to look a bit more polished. Pretty darned perfect I’d say."
Herbae par L'Occitane L'eau Gentle Shower Gel, £16.50 for 250ml, launching in February
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"Craving Spring? Need a Mother’s Day gift? Or just want to add a splash of colour to your January? Then this is a great option and gets the smell of white clover found in Provençal wild grasses straight into your bathroom. It comes in a pretty pale pink shade and is part of a set which also comes in a fragrance and milk. L’Occitane says Herbae is a flower that grows in unexpected places and denotes a woman of beauty, strength and unpredictability. It’s a citrus-floral scent that will brighten up any winter bath before bed routine or give you a spring in your step in the shower."
Atelier Cologne Limited Edition Santal Carmin, £165 for 100ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Back when I first started in beauty journalism the first event I ever attended was an Atelier Cologne launch, so I’ve got a special place in my heart for the fragrance brand. My favourite is the Silver Iris scent, but when I heard that a limited edition version of Santal Carmin had been released in honour of Chinese New Year, I had to get my hands on it. The woody, warm scent has been repackaged into a red glass bottle decorated with a golden lotus flower and adds a touch of elegance to my overcrowded dressing table."
Urban Decay Stay Naked Powder Fix (24 shades) £27
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Urban Decay's Stay Naked long-wear matte foundation launched last year to much fanfare with Lizzo as one of its 'global citizens', as the brand calls its ambassadors. Today it debuts in powder form too, but cleverly it's not just a foundation, it's also a setting powder making it very handy for middle-of-the-day resets when my base is starting to slide and I'm starting to look a little eye-baggy. Normally I'd go for a cushion foundation because it's that bit more hydrating, but this compact is infused with moringa seed extract and does the job very nicely without being too drying.
"It's fine (the idea is it looks like naked skin only better - or why bother) with full coverage so you only need a tiny bit - and a spritz of hydrating face mist first helps it settle in even more. I've only got my hands on it today so I haven't been able to test its sweat-resistance and staying power up to 16 hours, but so far I'm especially loving the dark grey charcoal-infused sponge which helps to suck up impurities rather than redistributing them around your face."